Collapsing Heart Revised
by lilybean123
Summary: Hermione and 8 year old sister Layla are left alone after their parents die. A surprise in their parents will takes them to England. Layla's favourite actor Ron Weasley lives in England, Layla decides she wants him in their family. Revised Version!
1. Chapter 1

**PLEASE READ:**

This is the revised version of Collapsing Heart. I have made the chapters longer by condensing the twelve chapters I have typed so far into five chapters. I have also made some minor adjustments, and fixed all the grammatical errors that I could see. To view the pre-revised version, just click on my name. As of September 2, 2011 at 3:00pm BST, the pre-revised version has had 156 reviews. I will only be adding chapters to this version from today onwards. Thank you for taking the time to read this, I hope you enjoy.

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all associated characters are J.K. Rowling's creation and not mine. Layla however is all mine. **

**Collapsing Heart**

**Chapter One**

I couldn't believe this was happening. I looked up at the gray clouded sky in deep mourning. I felt a small hand slip into mine and I was brought out of my inner thoughts. It wasn't just anyones hand, it was my little sisters; grasping on to me like I was her lifeline. As I looked down at the two coffins that held my parents I realized just how true that statement was; with no other family left I was her life line, and she was mine.

My parents died on a rainy Tuesday night just one week ago. Tuesday night was their date night. My mom would get all dressed up even though they always went to the same place in downtown New York City. Then after they ate they would go to the movies and come home in time to tuck my eight year old sister, Layla, into bed. I would always wonder why they needed to go on these dates because they had been married for twelve years. In response my mom would look at me with her eyes twinkling and say, "Hermione dear, your only twenty years old, but one day when you get married you will understand." At that precise moment she would reach over and pinch my dad's ass and they would both laugh. Layla and I would look at each other, and make fake gagging noises while sticking our fingers in our mouths. Secretly, I longed for the day when I could have a relationship like theirs. They were not the perfect couple, but they were my heroes. I loved them, I still and will forever love them. That rainy Tuesday night would be the last time I ever saw them. I would never see that twinkle in my mother's eye or my father's cheeky grin ever again...damn drunk driver.

"Hermione...Hermione dear." I shook my head trying to clear fond memories from my head, and looked at the minister calling my name.

"I'm sorry did you say something?" I whispered, as my voice tried and failed to grasp onto any kind of sound. The minister looked at me with pity and gave me a sad smile, "Yes, its time to say goodbye."

Goodbye? How the hell do you say goodbye to someone that has been there for you, cared for you, and loved you for all of your life. He made it sound like it should be easy. It felt as if a knife was cutting me in two. I quickly moved my hand to my stomach, it was as if the emotional pain was turning physical. I quickly patted my stomach to make sure it didn't really happen, that someone hadn't really plunged a knife in to me. I looked down at my sister and saw that she was staring at me very intently. She had not spoken one word since we found out they died. I have to keep it together, I have to keep it together for Layla. If I breakdown she will have no one to depend on. With that thought I straightened myself up, leaned over and dropped the two white roses I had in my hand into the ground.

"I love you mom and dad. I know you are probably worried, but try not to ok? I am going to take care of Layla as if she were my own. I will make you so proud of me." I whispered hoping by some miracle that they could hear me, wherever they are.

Layla came next to me and dropped her two flowers in to the ground. She didn't say anything she just stood up and went back to where were originally standing. The digger started putting the dark soil into the ground and over my parents. I slowly stood up, my knees popped and I groaned. I feel like I had aged twenty years overnight. I walked back over to Layla and gave her the tightest hug I could. I let a couple tears fall from my eyes, but no more, I had to keep strong.

"Miss Granger?" a voice called from behind.

I turned around and saw that Mr Jerome, Jr., one of my parent's lawyers, was standing almost impatiently right over me.

"Mr Jerome, what are you doing here?"

"Miss Granger I have been trying to get in touch with you for three days. Where have you been?" he asked me in an irritating tone.

I couldn't believe he was talking to me like this, who does he think he is.

" I have been busy preparing for my parents fucking funeral, whats it to you?" I said angrily. I didn't have time or energy to be dealing with assholes. I hated swearing, but this guy is pushing my buttons.

"Now Miss Granger lets calm down, you don't want to cause a scene now do you? Especially when nature of your sister's guardianship is at stake." He asked patronizingly.

"Are you threatening me?" I asked.

"No, I am just saying that if you want to keep your sister with you had better keep that temper in check, you don't want Child Services being called out by someone do you."

Someone is definitely getting fired very soon. I can't believe the nerve of this idiot.

"Why were you looking for me?"

"We need to go over your parents will, it is imperative that we do so."

"Well, there is no way I can do it today, I have too much going on. You can come by the house tomorrow at 8AM, I'll be waiting."

I didn't even give him time to answer, I just took Layla's hand and walked away.

_Next Morning 8AM_

I didn't sleep again last night, I hadn't slept in a week and I am sure it was beginning to show. After leaving the cemetery we returned to the house to find fifty people there eating, talking, and some even laughing. If no one was wearing black, it would almost seem as if this wasn't a funeral. I looked around the room and just saw a big blur; half of the people I didn't even know. Every five-seconds someone would come up to me and say how sorry they are to hear about my parents, they were such great people blah blah blah...

As the last person had left I shut the door and took a big gulp of air. The house was silent, too silent. Layla was in her playroom for most of the meal, but when I checked she wasn't there anymore. I found her in our parents room curled up into a little ball on their bed sleeping. I stood in the doorway for what seemed like hours just staring at her and clutching my chest.I saw my mothers nightgown sitting on a chair in the corner of the room. I picked it up a breathed the scent in; it smelt of vanilla and honey, it smelt like her. I unzipped my black dress, pulled the nightgown on and crawled into bed next Layla, I stared at the ceiling all night; my mind blank and my body numb.

_Knock Knock_

I shook my self out of the hazy trance that my mind had grabbed on to and opened the door.

"Mr. Jerome, please come in." I said as I stood to the side to let him in. I led him to the living room and we both sat down. I am glad it was Mr Jerome, Sr., not Jr., this would have been very tense if it was Jr. I like Mr Jerome, Sr., he used to remind of Santa Claus when I was a child, and for the longest time I had thought he was.

"Is Miss Layla here today?" Mr Jerome asked as he looked around the room.

"Yes," I said slowly. "Does she need to be here for this, she is only eight, I don't think she will understand any of this."

"Your parents have left something for the two of you and I have it here with me, but I can wait till the end to give it to you both."

"OK." I said nervously. Things really hit home for me early this morning when I got out of bed. I'm in university so I don't have a job. Mom and Dad always thought I should devote all my time to studying. Layla goes to a private school I'm sure the fees are horrendous. Then there is the house; will I get to keep it, or have they given it to someone else. The biggest worry of all was Layla, would I get to keep her or will be shipped off somewhere.

" Your father, before he died, had been doing extremely well with his job. He and your mother just came to me last month to update somethings on the will."

" What kind of things?"

" All good things Miss Granger, you and your sister will have nothing to worry about." Mr Jerome calmly said with a smile. The moment he said that, it was is a heavy weight had lifted off of me.

"Now there are five things that we need to go over and I want to make it easy for you to understand. I know you and your sister are in a predicament since you don't have any living relatives left to depend on." He stated

" Yes, that correct. Both Mom and Dad were only children and I only knew Nanni Granger. She lived in England though so we never got to see her before she died. Mom's parents had died before I was born."

"They were well aware of everything when they came to me to discuss the will. Now first things first the house; your father had a really good life insurance policy with his company and he also took out a few private policies on himself as well. It was put in place that when he died the house would be paid off in full. The life insurance policies, in the event of your father death, would leave the amount of twenty-million US dollars to the next beneficiary. Since you mother was the next beneficiary and she has also passed on, you my dear are next in line." He said with a sure smile on his face and sat back into the chair.

"Twe-enty Million? What I-I?"

"Yes my dear, you get everything. Now concerning your sister, you parents wanted you two to stay together but they understood that it would be a big burden for you to carry. They also understood that you were old enough to make your own decisions. They wanted you to decide whether you would keep your sister or go with the alternative placement they had set up for her."

"I am keeping her." I said quickly.

" Now are you sure you don't want to hear..."

"No!" I yelled cutting him off. "I don't need to hear anymore. I know it will take some adjusting but I can do this, I have to. I owe to my parents and Layla to stick to this.

"Your parents would understand if you couldn't dearie" he said sympathetically as he reached over and patted my hand.

"Yes, well that wouldn't have been there first choice, you said it yourself they want the two of us to stick together and this is the only way to do it."

Tears started to well up in my eyes and I hurriedly tried blink them away. Mr Jerome didn't say anything as I tried to compose my self. I looked back at him, and asked,

"Thats three things, what are the other two?"

" Ah yes, these two will be a shock to you I am sure. Did you know that you and your sister hold dual nationalities?"

"I'm sorry, what?" I asked stupidly.

"You and your sister hold passports for both the United States and the United Kingdom."

"Umm, no we don't I am sure I would have seen those."

" Your parents got them for you when both of you were born."

"How can that be possible?"

"Well, your dad was born in England therefore you have the right to hold a British passport as well. Which bring us to the last topic, your Grandmother on your fathers side left him her home in her will before she died. Which means now that your father has past, the house now also belong to you. Now that you father has died, English law requires you to go and sign a document in person to transfer the deed and title in your name." He said

"What does that mean?" I asked. My brain had turned to mush. I cant believe these things, these secrets that my parents had kept from me.

"It means my dear child that you are going to England!"

0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o0

It has now been two weeks since my parents have died, and one week since Mr. Jerome came to the house to present my parent's will. I am still in shock, and I am still trying to wrap my head around everything. Our tickets were booked to fly into London, and we would be leaving tomorrow evening. Layla and I have been sleeping in my parents room ever since I found her here a week ago.

Layla still hasn't spoken either and I am starting to get a little worried. At first I let her be; I know everyone grieves in different ways, and I just thought she was channeling her grief through silence. Now I have to beg her to speak to me, and even then it's like I am talking to a stone wall. She has no problem with showing affection though, and she wont wander off on her own. Even if we are in the house she has to be in the same room as me, and right now as I try to fall asleep next to her; she holds me close in her sleep never letting her grip falter. I was just about to doze off when I heard,

" Do you think Mom and Dad are in Heaven?"

I closed my eyes tight as a tear ran down my face and sighed. I wasn't really a religious person, but I believed that if you were a good person and did good things thats all that mattered. Our parents never took us to a church so I didn't understand where this heaven talk was coming from. I was just so happy that she spoke and I didn't want to upset her, so I gently asked,

"Do you think they are in heaven?"

"Yes," She answered with a quiver in her voice.

I pulled her closer to me and said, "If you believe that they are then they are."

Her shoulders started to shake and I as I looked down at her she looked up at me; and my heart broke. Her eyes held big drops of tears, and I lost it. We both cried until we were too tired to keep our eyes open.

**Next Day**

After we had our cry last night, I woke up wondering if Layla would retreat back into herself like she had previously done. I guess I can rest a little easier now though because she is almost back to being miss chatterbox, but I wouldn't change it for the world.

" Do you realize who lives in England?" Layla asks me excitedly.

"The Queen?"I asked playfully.

"No silly girl someone much more important than that."

I had no clue who she was talking about. I don't go around researching people who live in England.

"Grrr. OK I will give you a clue. What is my most favorite movie of all time?"she asked frustratedly.

"Well, that easy, its the Hero Daze series." I said. There were four movies in the series and they were currently filming the fifth one. Layla must have watched them at least a dozen times, and she had roped me into watching them with her a couple times as well.

"Yes, exactly the cast of Hero Daze all live in England, but what is more important Ronald Weasley lives there! Isn't that great?"

"Yeah. Thats amazing. Ronald Weasley, Woo-Hoo!" I said with a fake cheerfulness. She didn't seem to notice my false enthusiasm because she just keep prattling on.

"Maybe I will get to meet him and give him the letter I had written for him a month ago. I never got to send it, but now maybe I can give it to him in person. Oh the possibilities, my friends are going to be so jealous when I meet him." She squealed as she jumped around the room.

When she mentioned the letter she had written for that Weasley guy, it reminded me of the letter my parents had written for us. Mr Jerome had them and had given them to each of us when he was done reading the will. I still had not read mine yet, but I wonder if Layla had read hers.

"Hey Layla? Did you read the letter mom and dad wrote to you yet?" I asked nonchalantly.

It went silent as soon as I asked. The jumping and cheering was forgotten and as I looked over at Layla I felt stupid. Her chin started to quiver, and she seemed to be retreated back into herself again. _I shouldn't have brought it up. I am so stupid!_

"Never mind, you don't have to answer me, I was just thinking aloud." I said trying to quickly backpedal through the mess I created. "So we better get packing, we don't want to keep Mr. Weasley waiting." That seemed to do the trick, a bright smile lit up her face and she ran upstairs. I heard the cupboard at the top of the stairs open and I could here her taking out the suitcases while humming. That was close, I need to be more careful with what I say to her. This trip is just the thing we both need. I personally couldn't stay in this house much longer, everything was a constant reminder of our parents, and I was starting to feel claustrophobic.

The morning quickly turned to the afternoon and before we knew it we were on the plane. Layla had never been on a plane before, but she seemed to love it. It was overnight flight and I was afraid she would get cranky, but she seems to be doing ok. The flight attendants had just taken our trays from breakfast when the captain's voice sounded over the intercom.

_Ladies and gentleman this is your captain speaking, we will be arriving into London Heathrow in just two hours. Soon the flights attendants will be passing around a landing card for Non-British citizens to fill out and complete until then they will now be coming down the isle with magazines and newspapers to read along with our duty free service. Once again thank you for flying with us and you will hearing from me again soon._

When the flight attendant came by I took a newspaper from London and they gave Layla a young teen magazine.

"Hermione look, its Ron doesn't he look dashing!" Layla said pointing to the picture. It was a picture of him walking down the street with a black bag in his hand. I never noticed before but he was really hot.

"Yeah, he is quite cute." I said as I took the magazine from her to get a closer look.

"Someone has a crush." She sang loudly as she snatched the magazine out of my hand. Several people looked over at us and smiled.

"I do not." I said as I sunk down in my seat, and I felt my cheek start to burn.

"Listen to this Hermione, _'Ron Weasley will be answering questions on Kiss FM radio this Friday at noon. The fifth caller to call in will win a date with him at winner's restaurant of choice. Just call the number on the bottom of the page when we tell you to and you can get a chance to win.' _Oh Hermione imagine if I got to meet him!" Layla said excitedly while bouncing in her seat.

"I'm sure many people will be calling in once they find this out, so don't get your hopes up all right." I said as I patted the top of her head.

"We can still listen to the radio on Friday though right. We will still be here on Friday right" she said, her eyes pleading with me to say yes.

"Yes, we will still be here, I decided to stay in Nanni's house for a month. You still have much of your summer vacation left, and we both need time away from New York." I said playfully while purposely avoiding answering the question she want to here the most.

"And?" she said frustratedly.

"Yes, you can listen to the program, but like I said before I don't want you getting your hopes up if you cant get through all right? Besides tomorrow is Friday and you might be so jet-lagged, that you will probably sleep right through the radio show." I wanted to make sure that she didn't get her hopes up about this; she was doing well these past two days and I wanted to keep it like that.

"I will not sleep through it! Maybe you should be the one to call in."

"Why would I need to do that?" I asked confusedly.

"Your so crabby, you need to go on a date." She said. All of a sudden the look on her face changed from bossy to mischievous.

"Whatever your thinking the answer is no, do you hear me." I said firmly. She was up to something, I just didn't know what.

"I'm not thinking anything." She said sweetly, almost too sweet for my taste.

I was about to call her out on her lie when the captain announced on the intercom that we were now beginning the descent into London. We didn't need to fill out the landing card because we had our British passports. It took forever to get off the plane, but thanks to my parents for thinking ahead, we didn't have to go through customs. My Nanni's house was about an hours drive north of London. I was too scared to drive so we had to get a taxi, I am sure it would cost a fortune, but it would be a small price to pay for our safety.

**Friday Morning**

"What do you want for breakfast?" I asked Layla as I rubbed the sleep from my eyes. Yesterday, I had asked the taxi driver to stop at a grocery store so we could pick up some essentials so we wouldn't starve. I'm glad I did cause the way I was feeling we weren't going anywhere today I am so tired, and I want to jump back into bed.

"I want pancakes!"

"Cereal it is." I said, as I got the milk and cereal out.

"Noooo." Layla whined

"Hey isn't your radio program thingy coming on in like ten minutes. You better hurry up and eat or you are going to miss it." That did the trick, she jumped off the kitchen chair and sprinted towards me; grabbing the cereal and milk then running back to the table.

I turned the radio on so she could listen to it while eating.

_Thanks for tuning in to Kiss FM, now in about three minutes we will have Ron Weasley, who you may know from a little movie series called Hero Daze. Now here is how the competition will go, we are going to bring him on here and introduce him to you all and then we will open the telephone lines to start the questioning...so without further ado I give you Ron Weasley._

_Hello, how's it going._

I turned to look at Layla so I could see the excitement on her face, and found her seat empty.

"Layla your missing it!" I shouted through out the house. I shook my head and smiled. Sometimes that girl doesn't make any sense.

I started washing the dishes when I heard something that rooted me to the kitchen floor.

"_Our next caller is our fifth caller and lucky winner, who am I speaking to?" the radio DJ asked._

"_Layla Granger, am I really your fifth caller."_

_Yes, Layla you are. How old are you? Also say hello to Ron!"_

" _Hi Layla, how are you?" Ron asked._

"_OMG hi! I cant believe this! I am doing really good now!" Layla squealed._

"_How old are you Layla?" the radio announcer asked again._

"_Eight!" she yelled excitedly._

_Ron laughed and said, " Aren't you a little young to be going on dates."_

"_Yes, but I am not calling in for me, I calling in for my sister Hermione. She needs to go out on date, she has never really had a boyfriend."_

The minute she said that I took off running. I had to put an end to this before she embarrassed me further. Meanwhile I could still here her talking through the radio.

"_You see my mom and dad died last week in a car accident, and now she has to take care of me. I feel bad cause she wont get to live her life like she should."_

"_How old is your sister?" Ron asked kindly._

"_She is only twenty."_

"_That really brave of her to do that."_

" _I think so. Uh-oh. Here she comes."_

"_Well, put her on." The radio announcer said._

I opened the door to one of the closets and thats where I found her; with my cell phone.

She just held the phone out to me sheepishly said, "They want to talk to you."

I grabbed the phone from her and sighed, " Hello."

"Well hello there, your sister has just won you a date with the famous Ron Weasley. How do you feel Herny?"

"Its Hermione, and lets just say I am shocked. Look I know you have show to run so I wont keep you."

"What is your favorite restaurant?" Ron asked

"Look, I am sure your a nice guy and your probably obligated to do this so I will spare you the trouble. You don't have to go on a date with me. Have a good day." I said and hung up. I was mortified.

"Why did you hang up? I got you a date." Layla cried.

"I'm sorry kiddo, I love you, but you don't need to worry about me. I'm sure he has better things to do than going on forced dates with strangers," I said and walked away.


	2. Chapter 2

**Collapsing Heart**

**Chapter 2**

I officially own my Nanni Granger's house. It's weird to say that, and I guess I should call it my house, but it's going to take some time to get used to it.

Layla has been mad at me ever since the Friday debacle. Thats right, I named it that, and I am still so embarrassed. I am just glad that it was radio and not television. If it was television, I could imagine me walking through town and everyone pointing at the strange American girl who turned down a date with the Ron Weasley. Oh well I had better things to worry about, like right now I just got done going through all of Nanni Granger's belongings that were stored in the attic and I was a mess.

"Hermione are you done yet? I'm hungry. I want a hamburger and chips." Layla yelled from the living room.

"Chips?" I asked amusedly yelling down the downstairs. She was here four days already and she was already picking up the lingo.

"You know what I mean. I am trying to blend in with the natives." Layla said seriously.

" All right well I will be down in a minute, just give me a chance to shower all these cobwebs out of my hair. Then we can go have your burger and 'chips.'" I laughed. She sometimes amazed me, where does she get that stuff from.

I quickly undressed and stepped into the shower. I loved this shower; it was amazing and I wish that I could bring it back to New York with me.

"Hermione. Come quick!" Layla screeched from down the stairs.

I quickly jumped out of the shower wrapped my towel around my body and ran leaving puddles of water behind me. I hope she didn't try to use a knife on that melon I bought yesterday and cut herself. Thats all I would need right now, a trip to the ER with no car. I ran down the stairs as fast as I could; tripping on one of Layla's shoes at the bottom. I ran to the kitchen and she wasn't there, I quickly looked for any blood and could not see any.

"Where are you? Are you ok?" I yelled frantically.

"I'm in the living room. Come quick." She bellowed.

I ran into the living room and stopped dead in my tracks. Sitting on my couch was none other than Ron Weasley. The room was silent, the only sound that was heard was an owl cooing in the tree at the side of the house, and my heavy breathing from running a marathon through the entire house.

Ron looked at me, his gaze traveling down my body and then back up again. It felt as is if his eyes burned right through me, and as his gaze continued upward and when his eyes landed on my face he turned red.

"Ummm Hi. You must be Hermione. I'm Ron, Ron Weasley." he nervously said. Thats the last thing I remember before hitting the floor.

I heard someone calling my name but it was hazy, my unfocused eyes corrected themselves, and I turned beet red. I slapped my hands over my eyes and groaned, "Please tell me this isn't happening."

"It is Hermione, and close your legs your letting Ron see your pee hole." Layla dramatically whispered.

I quickly scrambled of the floor and pulled my towel close against me. My whole body felt sunburnt; once again I made a fool of myself around this guy. Then a thought occurred to me.

"How do you know where we live?" I looked at him strongly. This guy not better be some creeper. I don't care how famous he is.

"Um, the radio station had your address, so they gave it to me." He said sheepishly while running his hand through his hair.

"Well, that cant be possible, I didn't give out my address. I hope they didn't track the number, but then again it was a cell phone; nowadays they have GPS and other methods. Just last night I saw a cop TV program where they just need to have the cell phone on to track someone..." I rambled quickly.

"Hermione, Listen to yourself you sound like your fifty; talking about GPS and other methods yada yada yada. I gave the radio station our address, before they put me on air. It procedure." Layla said while rolling her eyes at Ron and pointing towards me.

"I'm sorry could you excuse us really quick. I need to get dressed. Layla a little help please." I said giving Ron a fake smile, then turning to Layla and giving her my best glare. She quickly followed, once she realized she was pushing my limit. I told Ron to make himself at home then we both ran up the stairs. I quickly pulled her into the bedroom and shut the door.

"What are earth were you thinking, letting him in here without me knowing." I whispered harshly.

"I did let you know." She stated while rummaged through our suitcases.

"Yelling _'Hermione come quick'_ is not letting me know. You don't open the front door for anybody, and what are you doing?" I asked. She was pulling out all my clothes one by one. She would examine a shirt, tilt her head to one side, crinkle her nose, and throw it over her shoulder.

"I have to pick out a nice outfit for you, your going on a date in like ten minutes. A-ha, wear this white top and your skinny jeans. He is already attracted to you cause I saw him checking you out when you ran in the living room." She said as she threw the items at me.

I got dressed, put on some makeup, and we both went back downstairs. I wouldn't tell Layla that I still want going on the date, but I had to get dressed so when she gave me the clothes I didn't say anything. While getting dressed I realized that I probably over reacted just a little. After this though he probably never wants to see me again anyway. I walked into the living room and apologized.

"Look I'm sorry about all this. I am not some crazy woman who always acts like a banshee, I promise." I stated.

Ron laughed and said, "Its ok, I have a younger sister too and I know how they can be. Anyway I was hoping that if I came here in person you would reconsider going out on a date with me."

"She would lo..." Layla started, but I cut in.

" I would love to, but I cant. You see, we have only been here since Thursday, and I don't know anyone that could watch Layla. Maybe some other time." I said. As I looked at him I could see he was actually disappointed. I must be imagining it though, I mean why would he want to go out with me. I'm really not anything special, and he is gorgeous.

"Why don't I just come with you, that way you can still go. You wont even know I'm there I'll be quieter than a mouse" Layla said innocently. Ron smiled at her and said it was a good idea, but I knew she was up to something. Once again, I didn't want to come off as the bad guy so I agreed.

"OK lets go then, we could all go in my car." Ron while smiling at me. The smoldering look he gave me left me speechless. My last thought as I shut the front door behind me was _I'm in deep trouble_.

0o0o0o0o0o

"So where do you want to eat when we get into London?" Ron asked as he directed his Range Rover through traffic. He kept glancing at me, and I was starting to think I had something on face. The drive so far had been awkward at best and we had only been in the car for ten minutes; I don't know how we are going to make it another fifty minutes into the city.

"I don't really know anywhere around here, but I know that Layla said she would like a burger." I said nervously while staring straight ahead. I didn't know why he made me so nervous, it wasn't a bad nervous though.

"I have the perfect place, its not in London though if that's all right. Its actually near my house, and they have the best burger and chips this side of England."

"Oh can we see your house Ron?" Layla asked loudly.

"Don't be so rude Layla." I said scolding her. She could be so nosy sometimes.

"Its ok. Maybe some other time, my house is getting renovated at the moment and it's a bloody mess." Ron said while smiling through the rearview mirror at Layla, and Layla smiled back.

"So how far away do you live from here?" I asked.

The tips of his ears turned red and he looked guilty for some reason.

" I only live twenty minutes from your house."

"Oh. Thats nice." I said not knowing what else to say. If we did start dating he wouldn't have far to drive. I shook my head quickly banished that thought from my head.

Ten minutes later we pulled into what looked like a family style pub. The parking lot was packed; they must have some good food. Before I had a chance to step out of the car, Ron had come around and opened the door for me. He held out his hand to help me get out, and as I took it an electric shock passed through my hand. I quickly looked up at him and saw that he was staring right at me with a blush on his face. I was surprised, because for an actor he was turning out to be really shy and unsure of himself. I liked the fact that he wasn't full of himself.

"So are we all done staring at each other, I can almost hear the harps playing and people might start to break into song. Watching the two of you is like watching my Disney movies." Layla teased with a big smile on her face.

I quickly pulled my hand from his, blushed, and looked down. Ron rubbed the back of his neck and gave a nervous chuckle.

"I thought you were supposed to be acting like a mouse?" I said while giving her the eye.

"I am, but even mice squeak sometimes." She stated as she starting walking towards the pub.

Ron threw his head back a laughed, it was contagious and I couldn't help put chuckle as well.

When we walked into the pub, it felt really homey. There were people laughing, talking, and the lighting made it intimate. I would have to remember to ask Ron the directions cause I had feeling I would be coming here only problem right now was that all the tables were full.

"Ron, I don't think we will be able to eat here, it looks like there are at least seven people waiting over there by the waiting area." I said worriedly. I was getting hungry now and I just wanted to eat. I looked over at Layla and she seemed to be staring a group of people carrying on loudly at a table towards the back.

He smiled at me and told me not to worry, that he had connections. He was about to say something else when a blonde waitress came towards us with a big smile. Right away I notice that smile was for Ron and Ron alone.

"Hi Ron, how are you? Are you here to meet the others?" she asked coyly while fluttering her eyelashes and sticking her chest out.

"Not today Lavender, I'm actually here on a date and I need a table for three please." Ron said as he gave her a polite smile.

The Lavender girl's smile quickly diminished then turned into a scowl when she looked at me. She immediately set my teeth on edge, and I stood up straighter as a silent threat not to mess with me.

She turned back to Ron and gave him another smile and said, "Since when did you start dating again. The last girlfriend you had was me and that was almost five months ago."

She quickly looked at me to see if she got a reaction from me but I kept my fake smile plastered on my face. This bitch will not get the better of me.

"Look lady, I'm hungry can you please take us to our table, and if don't want to move just point your fake boobs in the direction and I am sure we will be able to find it." Layla said angrily.

My mouth dropped open in shock and I scolded her, but inside I was cheering. I could see that Ron was trying to stifle a laugh. Lavender gave Layla an evil look and then without another word she walked us to our table. I sat down on the chair by the window and Ron sat next to me. Layla smiled at this and sat opposite of Ron.

"Layla, I want you to apologize to Ron, there is no excuse for what you said to Lavender." I said firmly.

"She deserved it though, she was being really mean to you." She said with a pout on her face as she looked down at the table. She was embarrassed that I was scolding her in front of Ron.

"What did I tell you about doing things for me? I know you mean well, but I can take care of myself. She is Ron's friend and you need to respect that." I stated.

Layla looked up at Ron and I could see her eyes were glassy with unshed tears. Her chin quivered as she apologized. "I'm sorry Ron, for being mean to your friend.

Ron leaned over with a soft smile, patted her hand, and said, " It's ok, she was being mean too."

Layla went to the bathroom, and the table was silent until I heard Ron groan with frustration and he mumbled _Oh great. _I was about to ask him what was wrong, but I followed his gaze and saw two men, who were definitely twins, walking towards the table.

"Ronnie my boy, Lavender said you were here on a date and we couldn't believe it, could we Fred."

"No, George definitely not, but lo and behold here you are with a stunning woman. How much did my brother pay you?"

"Fred!" Ron yelled angrily.

"Are you calling me a prostitute?" I asked. I was outraged. I couldn't believe these idiots were his brothers.

"No, my dear, we are just saying that our brother normally has trouble getting a girl. So we figure he must be paying you. Why would he bring a date to our family pub if not to show you off."

"Your family owns this place?" I asked Ron as I turned to look at him. He nodded shyly and once again he turned beat red.

"Fred, George this is Hermione. Remember I told you that Kiss FM was putting a contest on to win a date with me. Well, she and her sister both won the contest." Ron said. You could see that he was clearly annoyed.

"Two sisters, Ronnie you dirty dog." Fred said while giving Ron a punch on the arm.

"So where is the other sister then." George asked with a big grin on his face.

"I'm right here, and don't call Ron a dirty dog." Layla said. The twins turned around and saw that Layla was standing right behind them with her hands on her hips. That surprisingly shut the twins up, and George took our orders. When we finally started eating the conversation flowed with ease, and I found that I was enjoying myself. Ron was amazing, and I still couldn't get over how humble he was. As we waited for dessert, Ron told Layla that there was a play area around the corner, and once she heard that she took off running.

"So how did you end up in England; your sister said on the radio that your parents died not to long ago, I'm sorry to hear that it must hard for you guys right now." Ron said sympathetically.

"Yeah, its been three weeks. To be honest everything so far has been a blur. Going from the funeral to finding out that we have dual nationality, to finding out we have home here. I don't think its hit me yet." I said somberly as a tear ran down my face. He pulled his chair closer to mine and gave me a hug. He smelt unbelievable, and I couldn't believe this was happening, he felt so good. We eventually broke apart and I quickly wiped my eyes. I gave him the best smile I could muster and apologized.

"I'm sorry Ron, this is definitely not first date material."

"First date, that means there can be a second one." Ron said hopefully while he tenderly wiped the remaining tears from my face.

"Do you want there to be a second one." I asked shyly, " Cause I can understand if you don't, you were obligated to go on this one, not any others."

He took face in his hands and looked deeply into my eyes and asked, "What are you doing this Friday, cause I would love to see you again."

"I guess I have plans with you then, but there is still the problem of no one watching Layla. I love her and all but I want to get to know you, alone."

"Let me figure that one out ok. Everything will work out you'll see. Trust me." He said as he smiled and put his arm around my shoulders.

I did trust him already, and that's what was scaring me. What would we do when I go back home?


	3. Chapter 3

**Collapsing Heart**

**Chapter 3**

"How do I look?" I asked Layla nervously while fixing my hair.

"You look great, and why wouldn't you? I picked your outfit." Layla stated. You could tell she was proud of herself. She was a self-proclaimed fashionista, and I silently admitted to myself that she was definitely good at picking out clothes.

The week went by quickly and before I knew it, it was Friday. My date with Ron was going to start in ten minutes and I was nervous as hell. We had exchanged phone numbers when we got home from the pub last week and we have been talking ever since. I would call him every morning before he was required to be on set, and he called me every night when he came home. I feared that we had talked so much on the phone that once the date came around we wouldn't have anything to talk about in person.

"Do you know where I am going yet? I hope that wherever it is they have people my age." Layla said while gathering her toys.

I asked Ron several times throughout the week who was going to watch Layla, he wouldn't tell me, but he kept saying not to worry about it.

" I don't know where your going but I am sure Ron will have it sorted out by the time he gets here. Now go put your shoes on, also your not taking all those toys." I said while slipping my flats on.

"Please, can I? What if they have no kids and I am stuck doing nothing." Layla huffed.

"I don't care, you can pick out two things and thats final."

I just finished getting ready when the door bell rang.

"I'll get it. You look hot chica. You will knock him dead." Layla said as she winked and then she dashed down the stairs.

I rolled my eyes and gave myself a quiet pep talk while looking in the mirror:

"You can do this Hermione, it's just a date. Millions or people go out on dates everyday. Just breathe. It doesn't matter that he is a freakin' movie star who is sexy and could get any girl he wants."

"I want to go out with you, not any other girl."

I gave out a yelp, turned towards the doorway, and turned beet red. There was Ron smiling sheepishly with a bouquet of wildflowers in his hand. He had heard my little speech to myself, I keep embarrassing myself around this guy.

"Sorry, Layla said you were finished dressing, but you might need help getting downstairs." Ron explained while smiling shyly.

Behind Ron was the little traitor smiling innocently behind him.

"I'm sure she did." I said while narrowing my eyes over his shoulder, straight at Layla.

The room fell silent and was becoming awkward. This is what I was afraid of. I didn't want this painful awkwardness; yet here it is, and we haven't even been on the date yet.

"Flowers Ron, the flowers." Layla whispered while pushing Ron towards me from behind.

"Oh uh yeah. These are for you. I didn't know what flowers you liked, and I thought roses were to cliche, so I got you these, so yeah, ummm they're ..." Ron stumbled on quietly.

"They're perfect Ron, really thank you. I think roses are cliche too." I said kindly as I took the flowers from his hand and gave him a big smile.

He seemed relieved and exhaled loudly.

"I thought you guys have been talking to each other all week, why are you acting all weird." Layla boldly said.

"Layla. Just please for once keep your thoughts to yourself." I whined.

Ron just laughed, he seemed to enjoy my sisters brazen mouth, but I knew better. It becomes annoying very quickly and I didn't want her chasing him away. Her remark did, however, seem to lighten the mood a little.

"We better get going, I made reservations for seven thirty and we don't want to be late." He said as he checked his watch.

"Reservations? Am I dressed ok for where we are going?" I asked panickly.

He told me casual was fine earlier in the week, but if we are going somewhere that needed reservations then I know I am underdressed. As I looked to see what he was wearing I noticed he was wearing a black t shirt with jeans and leather jacket, nothing too dressy, I guess its a more laid back kind of place.

"Your beautiful. Don't change, what you're wearing is perfect." Ron said as we moved out in to the hall.

"OK." I said shyly.

Once again he offered to drive, and the three of us piled into his car; when we started to drive I asked about where Layla was going to go.

"I hope you don't mind, but I asked my sister and her boyfriend to watch Layla. I didn't tell you before because I really wanted to go on this date, and I didn't want to give you any excuses to back out." Ron said as he maneuvered through traffic.

"I wouldn't use any excuses, I wanted to come out tonight. I feel bad though, are you sure they don't mind."

"Ginny knows what she is doing, and she loves kids. She is also looking after my brother Bill's kids overnight. Victoire is the same age as Layla, and Dominique is a year younger." Ron said as he looked over and gave me a reassuring smile.

"Bill, is he one of the twins that was at the pub?" I asked trying to remember their names.

"No, that's Fred and George. Bill is the eldest. When we are at dinner I will give you a full run down of the family tree, there are many of us Weasley's." Ron joked.

I looked out the window and saw that we were pulling up to a massive brick home with a large garden.

"Is this your sister's house?" I asked in awe. The house was beautiful and I didn't even see the inside yet.

"Yeah, her and her boyfriend live here. Ginny is the younger sister I was talking about. She is only two years younger than me but she is a smart-aleck."

"What's her boyfriend's name?" I asked curiously. I wondered how a girl around my age could afford a house like this.

"You might have heard of him, he is my best mate and a coworker. His name is Harry Potter."

Layla just heard Harry Potter and she started screaming with glee, "Harry Potter is babysitting me, all my wildest dreams are coming true."

"Calm down Layla, you better be on your best behavior." I said sternly as I looked at her in the back seat. She was wiggling with excitement like a worm and I reached back to hold her still. "I mean it Layla, cool it." I said firmly. When she saw I was getting angry, she calmed down but her face still held a wide grin.

"Scouts Honor I will be on my best behavior." She said as she opened her door to get out.

"Like I haven't heard that before." I said sarcastically as I followed her out of the car.

As we walked up the path the front door swung open and two blurs of ginger ran up to us as they chanted, "Uncle Ron! Uncle Ron! What are you doing here, are you here to play some football? Uncle Harry said we could play after dinner."

The little girls didn't even notice Layla and I, they were so enraptured with Ron. I looked at Ron and I saw that he was loving all the attention. A smile was etched on his face from ear to ear as he picked them up and swung them around. Watching him with these little girls made my knees go weak. Is there anything wrong with this guy, I mean he is rich, yet humble, he obviously loves his family and children in general. Not to mention he was absolutely gorgeous; I was starting to wonder why he is single in the first place.

"Victoire and Dominique, leave your Uncle Ron alone, and don't be rude cant you see he isn't by himself." A young red headed woman yelled from the door in annoyance. It seemed red hair was a reoccurring theme in this family.

After the girls introduced themselves to each other they ran around the house which I assumed was the back yard. I guess Layla will fit in nicely, she didn't even say good bye. Ron and I walked up the path to greet his sister. I was a little nervous, but I decided to step out of my comfort zone and introduce myself.

"Hello my name is Hermione, you must be Ginny. Thank you so much for watching my sister for me." I said as I took her hand and shook it firmly.

"Gosh your gorgeous, Ron I wouldn't let her go. You know how you get sometimes with girls." Ginny said while appraising me and looking sternly at Ron.

"Gin why don't you let your brother live his life and be happy?" a man said as he came around the corner. He stood next to Ginny and slung his arm around her shoulder. He turned towards me and introduced himself and offered his hand to shake.

" Hello my name is Harry, Harry Potter. Its nice to meet you, Ron hasn't shut up about you since he meet you."

"Shut it you git." Ron said embarrassingly. "Well, we better go, we have reservations and we cant be late."

Ron took my hand gently and pulled me towards the car, not even giving me chance to say goodbye. We got into the car and he quickly sped off. He look slightly annoyed and I was worried it would ruin the time we had together.

"Look I am sorry about that, but my sister doesn't know when to shut her mouth. Harry is a good bloke, he means well but still can be nosy too." Ron said with a sigh.

"Its ok, you have meet my sister. I completely understand." I said giving him a small smile.

The car fell into a comfortable silence and I realized we were finally alone. He must have realized it too because he didn't hold back when he said,

" So you think I am a freakin' movie star who is sexy do you?" he said with a lopsided grin that made my heart melt.

I put my head in my hands and groaned. This was going to be interesting.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"Where are we? I thought we had to be at the restaurant for seven thirty, and its seven twenty-three." I asked Ron while I peered out the car window with curiosity. He had pulled his car into an empty field that about fifty other cars but I couldn't see the restaurant anywhere.

"See the line of trees over there?" he asked as he leaned over in my direction and pointed out my window.

His face was almost touching mine and I lost all concentration. He smelt amazing and his eyes were such and intense blue this close up.

"Sure." I said faintly not even looking in the direction he was pointing. He smiled but continued to hold my gaze. My heart was beating out of my chest, and it was so loud, that I am sure he heard it. I smiled back and we slowly started to lean in to each other. Just as we were about to kiss a car horn in the distance made both of us jump and break apart.

"So umm what trees were you talking about?" I asked trying to be nonchalant as I composed myself.

"Come on, I'll show you." He said as he got out of the car and around to my side. He opened my door quickly, helped me out, and then went around to open the trunk.

"What is that for?" I asked as I pointed to the basket in his hand.

"This is the restaurant.' He stated with a confidant grin that lit up his whole face as continued, 'and before you ask anymore questions just follow me." He held out his free hand and I slipped mine into his without hesitation. I probably sound sappy, but I don't care; our hands were made for each other.

As we made our way through the trees we kept stealing glances at each other, my face was permanently red, but I couldn't seem to care. As we cleared the trees there was a hill, and I gasped.

"This is amazing. This is perfect." I said excitedly.

"I didn't want to just go to a restaurant and eat, your different, I mean special and I want to do something out of the ordinary." He said shyly tripping over his words.

I stood on my tiptoes and kissed firmly on the cheek. A passerby wolf whistled and we both blushed.

"How are you still single?" I asked while smiling at him.

" I don't know. Life gets in the way I guess, and I am always working so..."

I could tell he was uncomfortable talking about it so I quickly changed the topic.

"What time does it start at?" I asked as I gestured towards the area at the bottom of the hill. He looked at his watch and pulled me closer as we descended the hill.

"In about ten minutes." He said.

As we walked closer I took in our surroundings. In front of us was a sprawling estate, like something out of a Jane Austen novel, and in the courtyard there were dozens of people sitting on blankets or chairs. They were are facing an outside movie screen. Drive-in theaters back home had nothing on this. We sat towards the back, because Ron didn't want anyone to recognize him.

"I hope your hungry, I didn't know what you like so I brought a little of everything just in case." He said as he unpacked everything on to the blanket. He had thought of everything.

"Everything looks great Ron. What movie is being played tonight?" I asked as I tucked in to some chicken salad.

"I think its Casablanca, but I am not too sure. They normally don't tell anyone what is being shown, you just show up and wait for the movie to play. I think this place is more for the atmosphere than what is being shown. I got my agent to find out though, cause I didn't want a slasher film for our second date." He said as he chuckled.

"Well, I am glad you found out because I have a very active imagination and if a horror film was showing, I don't think I would have slept tonight. I grimaced while thinking about past horror films I had seen.

"Just how active is your imagination?" he asked while giving me a smirk.

Normally I would have told a guy off for a comment like that, but with Ron it was different. I felt empowered and boldly shot back, "Maybe you'll get to see later."

"I'll hold you to that." He whispered hoarsely as he winked at me.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"Hermione, we can leave if you want to." Ron whispered as he leaned over and touched my arm. I jumped at his touch and quickly put my hand to my chest in relief when I felt that it was just him. I have had my hands clamped over my eyes for the past twenty minutes, and I am pretty sure I was whimpering every time I heard a loud scream coming from the movie.

Ron's agent had got the movie wrong. There was no showing of Casablanca on this night, there was only The Exorcist on a huge screen. The only advantage of this movie was that once Ron realized what it was that was showing, he pulled me between his legs so that my back was against this chest and wrapped me in his arms securely.

"Will you be mad if we do? I mean you planned all of this and I don't want to ruin it." I said apologetically as I turned to face him.

He brushed a stray hair out of my face and said, " I didn't plan on the movie at all, and I am going to fire my agent when I see him tomorrow. He must have lied to me about checking because this is no where near Casablanca."

I could tell he was frustrated and let down by the fact that tonight was not going as he had planned.

"Its still early right? Lets go to your family's pub get a drink and just talk. You still have your family tree to tell me about." I said hopefully.

"Are you sure you want to go back when you know my family will be there?" he asked doubtfully.

"Well, if you don't want to go there we can go back to your place." I said nervously.

"Umm." Ron stuttered as fiddled with the basket he brought.

"Just to talk of course, I mean you said you don't live far from me and you have already seen my house so..." I didn't finish the sentence in the hoping that he would take the lead.

"I guess the pub is ok. I don't even think I have anything to drink in my house anyway." He gave me a weak smile and started packing up. He didn't even give me time to respond. I tried not to look disappointed as he helped me up.

On the way back to the car he made small talk with me; about the weather, about the trees, and even about how he bought his car. It was as if he purposefully steering the conversation as far away as possible from his house and why he didn't want to go there.

As we got into the car, I would have loved for him to talk about such trivial things again because he had gone uncomfortably silent. The sun was beginning to set and it seemed to match his mood.

"Have I done or said something to offend you Ron?" I asked nervously. Recently I have learned that silence makes me extremely uncomfortable. Ever since Layla had stayed silent for the week after my parents died I just couldn't take it.

"No! Definitely not. I'm just not ready...i mean I don't want to..." he said incoherently.

"Look, obviously there is something on your mind, and I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable. We will go to the pub and talk." I said trying to snap him out of the funk that he slipped into.

He didn't say anything, he looked like he was mulling something over, and I was starting to feel slightly insecure. I was learning that on the surface Ron seemed like the perfect guy, but I could see he was hiding something, almost like he was deeply troubled, and there was definitely more to him than I thought.

"Or if you want we can just pick up my sister and you could drop us home." I said sadly. Tears sprung to my eyes at the thought of never seeing him again. How did I become so attached to him, I only knew for a week at best.

He look at me with longing, and it almost looked like he was going to say something but he just hung his head for a moment, started the car, and then we were off. I turned my head towards my window to shed a couple tears. For the past month life has been a real bitch to me. My parents died, and finally I find a guy that I think is amazing and I manage to mess that up too.

"Here you go." Ron said quietly holding out a tissue and looking at me with a crest fallen look on his face. I jumped at the sound of his voice. He had whispered but it sounded loud in the silent car.

"Thank you." I whispered back as I took the tissue and quickly dabbed my eyes. I hope my makeup didn't run, thats all I would need right now, to look like a rabid raccoon.

I didn't even notice that he had stopped the car and I looked out the window expecting to see his sisters house. What I saw made me gasp and I turned and looked at him with confusion. We were outside his family pub and I was shocked.

"Are you still up for that drink?" he asked as he tried to give me a smile.

"Only if you still want to Ron." I said looking him square in the eye. I didn't want to play any games and his mood swings today were making me insecure.

"I'm a bloody git sometimes Hermione and I know I have been all over the place tonight, but I just wanted to say I'm sorry and there is some stuff going on with me but I don't want to talk about it yet. I still really want to get to know you, so lets go in there and I will buy us drinks and we will talk about my bloody family tree and yours" he stated desperately with a pleading look in his eyes.

I looked at him and he seemed sincere so I agreed. I was scared though, things seemed to be moving fast, I just hope I don't end up with a broken heart.


	4. Chapter 4

**Collapsing Hearts**

**Chapter 4**

"Seven?" I shouted in disbelief.

"Yep seven, and all of us have red hair." Ron confirmed as he smiled lazily and took a sip of his frothy beer.

The awkwardness that had been between us earlier had melted away when the alcohol started flowing through our veins. I was finally hearing about the Weasley family, and it was well, interesting.

"There is Bill, who is the eldest, then Charlie, Percy, Fred, George, Me, and Ginny. All in that order too. Mum definitely had her hands full."

"Wow, she must have had a hard time keeping track of you all, and poor Ginny, the only girl." I said as I stared at him in amazement.

"Mum had eyes like a hawk, and she had and still has this eerie intuition that when one of us does something wrong; she just knows and then pesters you about it till you spill your secrets in some hope of relief from the constant nagging. Coming to think of it they should make my dad a saint, I don't know how he put up with her for so long, and Ginny can hold her own, trust me, she is the most self assured out of all of us I think."

"So if Ginny is the self assured one, what category would you put your self in Mr Weasley, the sexy one?" I asked brazenly as I reach over and wiped some excess froth from his upper lip. Yep, I definitely am starting to get tipsy; I am flirting openly with him and my internal filter seemed to be dwindling fast. The tips of his ears turned red, but I could tell he was enjoying the banter.

He thought for a moment then answered playfully, "I don't know, you would have to ask one of my many family members."

" I just might have to do that." I said as I gave him a cheeky grin.

He looked at his watch casually and his eyes widen in shock.

"Fuck, I mean, crap." He exclaimed and dug in his pocket and checked his phone.

"What's wrong? Do you have somewhere you have to be?" I asked worriedly.

He didn't answered me because he had dialed a number and was waiting for someone to pick up. When the person answered they started yelling so loud that Ron had to pull the phone away from his ear till they stopped.

"_I'm sorry...my phone was on silent. I know, I know, I KNOW I SAID. Look we lost track of time, we will be there soon. OK Gin, alright love you too. Bye." _Ron said and then ended the call.

"What happened is Layla ok? I knew I should have brought my phone." I said anxiously.

"No, she is ok, everything is fine. It's nearly midnight Hermione. I lost track of time. Ginny is going to have my bollocks on a plate if we don't get there soon though." Ron said as he left a wad of bills on the bar and grabbed his jacket. He helped me put my sweater on and called a taxi.

"What about your car?" I asked still in shock that it was so late.

" I'll get it tomorrow, I will call one of my brothers to pick me up in the morning." He said just as the taxi pulled up.

As we settled in the back of the taxi, I realized just how tired I was. The alcohol had created a fuzzy cushion for my brain and I felt my self nodding off. Before I knew it Ron was shaking me awake telling me we were on Ginny's road.

"Sorry, I didn't realize how tired I am." I sighed as I smothered a yawn with my hand. As I stretched I noticed that Ron was gazing at me with longing in his eyes.

"Hermione, I'm sorry if tonight didn't turn out like you hoped. I had everything planned and I know my mood killed most of the date." Ron said sadly as he turned towards me in his seat.

I grabbed his hand and smiled at him softly, "Ron, I cried like a blubbering whale on our first date so lets just called it even ok?"

"You are bloody amazing, you know that?" he said in awe as he squeezed my hand tenderly.

The taxi slowed to a stop just outside the house breaking our little bubble. I didn't want this night to end, and I had wanted him to kiss me. As we got of the taxi I knew that the chances were slim since Layla would now be with us, and I was definitely not kissing him in front of her; I would never hear the end of it. He was still gripping my hand as we walked to the house, and I guess that's as much physical contact I was getting tonight; not that I minded.

As we were walking up the path to the house the door swung open and what I saw frightened me a bit. There was Ginny with her hands on her hips fuming mad.

As we made it to the door Ginny slapped Ron on the back of his head and shouted, "Do you know how worried I have been. You have a watch and a phone how could you lose track of time?"

"Like I said on the phone Gin, we got to talking and time slipped away from us, and stop yelling, I know you hate when you hear this but you are turning into mum." Ron said as he ducked from another one of her swings.

Ginny turned to me and her expression immediately softened.

"I am not mad at you Hermione, just my idiot brother here. Although I should be glad, it looks like you two are getting along just swimmingly." Ginny smiled with a twinkle in her eye. She was looking at our joining hands, and clapping her own hands in glee.

"Seriously Gin, your turning in to mum. Can you let us in now?" Ron stated as he shook his head.

I noticed Ginny was about to clobber Ron because of the comment he made so I tried to diffuse the moment by asking about my sister.

"Was Layla good for you tonight? I am sorry if she was in any way outspoken or annoying." I said apologetically as we stepped into the kitchen.

"She was fine, she had a blast with Victoire and Dominique. They are all sleeping on the living floor now. They were playing camping earlier, and I think they are all tired out. Harry is out for the count too, they had him running all over the place." She said with a soft smile on her face.

"Well, we better get going, I have to be on set early tomorrow and I have to get these two home. Is there anyway you can take us home Gin? I left my car at the pub because we both were drinking" Ron asked.

"I have a better idea. Why don't you all stay here for the night? You and Harry both have scenes tomorrow at the same time so you can go into work with him, then I can take Hermione and Layla home when they get up." Ginny said as she looked at both of us.

"Ginny that's very kind of you, but I don't have anything to sleep in and I don't want to impose." I said kindly.

Ginny snorted and said, "Impose? Oh Hermione, I am sure Ron has told you about our big family. Imposing is second nature for us Weasley's plus I insist. So lets go."

She was already turning off all the lights, so we had no choice but to follow her.

Ron whispered to me as we climbed the stairs, "I told you she is the most self assured out of all of us, she gets whatever she wants; she is bossy."

"I heard that you git" Ginny harshly whispered as she turned around and gave him a playful glare.

I just giggled and kept following Ginny. She opened a door, told us to wait, then she came back out with a stack of clothes. We walked further down the hall and she opened another door.

She set everything down on the bed and said, "There is your own private loo through that door, and there should be some towels in there and a pack of new toothbrushes under the sink."

The bed looked so comfortable and big; I could not wait to jump into it and fall into a deep sleep. Maybe I would take a quick warm shower too. When we were at the outside cinema, the grass was poking through the blanket and my legs were feeling quite itchy.

Ginny was about to leave the room when she said, "Before I forget, you two have to share this room because I am decorating the other spare rooms at the moment, goodnight."

She winked and quickly dashed out the door closing it behind her. Ron looked at me in shock and I couldn't help but giggle. This would definitely be interesting.

"Good Morning." Ginny said tiredly as she walked into the kitchen and started rummaging through the cabinets.

"Morning." I groaned as I laid my head down on the kitchen table.

"Did you eventually get to sleep last night?" Ginny asked as she started making bacon and eggs.

"Yeah, eventually. Do you know if Ron got any sleep. I feel so bad. I am so sorry about last night."

"Don't worry about it. I completely understand. You guys have been through a lot in the last month."

After Ginny had left Ron and I alone things were awkward at first, but it soon become one of the best nights of my life until we were harshly interrupted.

_FLASHBACK_

"_Right or Left?" Ron asked as he pointed towards the bed._

"_Umm left I guess." I answered as I chewed my lip nervously._

_I cant believe Ginny put us in this position. What was I going to do? Maybe I could ask him to sleep on the floor, he wouldn't mind if it was a wooden one right. As if he had read my thoughts he said,_

"_I'm sorry about my sister, she has her meddling ways, and one of the areas she likes to meddle in is my love life. I will sleep on the floor."_

"_That's sweet of you Ron, but we are both adults here. We can share the bed, I mean the floor is rock hard." I stated as I look at everything but him._

"_Only if your sure." Ron said giving me a chance to change my mind._

"_I'm sure. Now, I am going to take a quick shower, did you want to go first?" I asked him as I separated the clothes that Ginny had left on the bed._

"_No, you can go first." Ron said hoarsely as his face turned red._

_I walked into the bathroom, closed the door, and slid down it as I deeply sighed._

_After we had both taken a shower, not together of course, I was hesitant to get into the bed. I could tell he was struggling as well, so I figured I better "woman up" and take the first initiative. Ginny had given me tight thin T-shirt and a pair of the shortest shorts I had ever seen and I felt a uncomfortable. When I first came out the bed room I saw Ron's mouth drop open in shock as he looked at me intensely from head to toe. I felt sexy when I saw him gaping at me but I still wanted to cover up._

_As we both laid in bed the tension between us was so thick and I knew it was going to be like this unless one of us did something. We had hardly talked since Ginny had left us here and I couldn't take it anymore. Before I could say something the most glorious thing happened. He lifted his head, reached over to me and caught me in a kiss so impossibly slow, I thought I was dreaming. His lips were soft and stimulating against mine, and he made sure he had my full attention before his hands began to wander; and wander they did. His warm hands slowly drifted down the length of my body, sweeping down my neck, grazing my sternum, and then hovering over my stomach. He moaned my name and I whimpered in response. He grabbed the hem of my shirt and looked at me, his eyes begging for permission. I gave him a nod, sat up, and he slowly lifted the shirt over my head. As he looked down his hooded eyes widen in surprise; I forgot to mention I don't wear a bra to bed. He groaned and dived back in for another kiss. Just as his hand settled on my breast, a loud shriek was heard coming from the living room. I quickly pushed Ron off me, threw on the shirt, and ran like hell. I knew it was Layla, and I hasd to get to her fast. I literally ran into Ginny in the hallway, and we both moved rapidly into the living room. When Layla saw me, she jumped in my arms and sobbed into my neck._

"_I woke up and you weren't here Hermione, why did you leave me? Why?" Layla wailed loudly._

"_I am so sorry sis, I didn't leave you. You were sleeping when I came back so Ginny said we could stay the night." I calmly said as I rubbed her back soothingly._

_She leaned back, took my cheeks in her hands, and said, "Promise me you wont leave me like Mom and Dad did." Layla said urgently._

"_Layla, I am not..."_

"_Promise me!" she yelled as the tears trickled down her face._

"_I promise." I whispered as I pulled her to me and gave her another hug._

_I turned around and saw that our whole exchange was watched by Ginny, Ron, and Harry. Harry had his arm around Ginny as she softly wept. My own eyes filled with tears, partly because I was embarrassed and partly because my little sister was grieving._

"_Hermione, why don't you and Layla take the bed and I will sleep out here with the girls." Ron said as he looked at me with sympathy._

"_Ron I can sleep out here, its not a problem. You take the bed."_

"_I am not arguing with you. Goodnight." He said as he kissed me on the cheek, walked over to the sofa, and laid down on it._

"_I'm glad Victoire and Dominique didn't wake up." Hermione said as she started following Harry and Ginny back up the stairs._

"_That's actually quite alarming." Harry joked trying to relieve some of the stress._

_We all chuckled and I returned to the guest bedroom with Layla. The last thought I had before I went to sleep was, hopefully Ron wouldn't run off after this._

_END OF FLASHBACK_

"Ginny, Let me help you with breakfast." I said as I got up from the table.

"No, you sit, now."Ginny ordered firmly as she pointed at me with a spatula.

Victoire and Dominique had already left early this morning and the house was quiet; until now.

"Morning" Layla sang. As she skipped to the table and sat down.

"I was going to ask how you are, but I think you are doing just fine." I said as I looked at her with envy. She fell asleep last night quickly but she kept kicking me as she slept fitfully; leaving me awake.

"Hermione, is Ron here?" Layla asked as she looked around the room.

"No. He went to work."

"Good, cause have you looked at yourself this morning, the word rough comes to mind." Layla said seriously.

Ginny giggled and I gave her a glare. She abruptly stopped and went back to making breakfast.

"Thats very rude of you, maybe if someone hadn't woke the whole house up we would have gotten better beauty rest." I snapped as I crossed my arms.

Layla's face crumbled, and I quickly apologized.

"I'm sorry kiddo, I didn't mean that. I am just tired, but I want you to know you can wake me up anytime ok." I said as I held her hand.

"Ok." Layla replied.

"Breakfast is ready." Ginny stated as she brought the dishes to the table.

As we began to eat Layla asked, "So, did you smooch Romeo yet?"

"Layla!" I groaned and Ginny laughed.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

I hadn't heard from Ron in three days, three long days of torturing myself, wondering what I did wrong to induce this silence.

"Hermione, why don't you just call him?" Layla asked as she came and sat down next to me on the sofa. She started rubbing my back and my eyes started to droop.

I was sitting hunched over with my chin in my hands staring off into space. I couldn't eat, I couldn't sleep, and I felt guilty because Layla had become my guardian these past few days. No matter what I did though I couldn't snap out of this despondency.

"I can't call him Lay." I said wearily. I sat upright and my spine popped and crackled in protest from sitting in one position too long, I then slouched down into the sofa and sighed.

"Why not?" Layla asked as she rolled her eyes at me and mimicked my position.

"It's complicated ok? Now will you just drop it." I whined.

"I will not drop it Hermione, look at you, your a zombie right now. I am feeling down too you know, but I am not moping around feeling sorry for myself. We haven't eaten properly in days, and for what, a BOY? I need you." Layla yelled as she stood up over me and waved her hands in frustration.

In that moment it felt as if a bucket of cold water was dumped over my head. How could I be so selfish? Here I was moaning and being depressed about a guy I hadn't known long. This is why I never dated guys before, I mean I was always busy with school, but I saw friends of mine get hurt often by selfish boys. Even though my heart was telling me Ron wasn't like that, I still felt raw and hurt. Mom would be disappointed in me right now if she was here.

"I'm sorry. Your right, I haven't been there for you. What do you want to eat, better yet let's make pizza from scratch I know you love that." I said as I stood up, wiped my eyes and fixed my ponytail, and started walking towards the kitchen.

"Hermione." Layla called softly, still in the living room.

I spun around and faced her with a forced half smile.

"Yes?"

"If Ron doesn't call you back, then he is an idiot." She said softly as she stepped forward and gave me a side hug.

"Thanks kiddo." I said as I mussed her hair and we walked to the kitchen together.

"Umm Hermione, do we any ingredients to make pizza?" Layla asked as she watched me rummage through the cupboards and refrigerator.

I continued to look through them all and I could see that we only had ham and chicken slices that we could use for the toppings. I took my phone out my pocket and dialed the taxi company we had been using since we had got here.

"_Yes, could I get a taxi to Marks and Spencers please...Hermione Granger...81 Willow Road...Thanks and how long do you think that will be...Fifteen minutes?...Ok thank you."_

"OK Layla, the taxi will be here in fifteen minutes so get your shoes on." I said as I put my phone in my bag and checked that I had my wallet in it as well.

"I miss our car, I hate these taxis they take forever to get here." Layla said as she roughly shoved her feet into her shoes.

"I know, but we are only here for three weeks though so you will have the car then." I said as I put my flip flops on. I didn't want to think about going back to the States too much, because every time I did my throat closed over and I felt nauseous.

"Hermione dear, I have a swell idea. Why don't we just live here." Layla stated as though it was the most obvious answer to all our problems.

"We can't, our life is in New York." I said as I made sure all the windows and doors were locked.

"No, our house is in New York." Layla said as we both stepped on to the porch to wait for the taxi.

"Not just our house, our car, our clothes, your school, and my university. Don't you miss your friends?"

As Layla was about to answer the taxi pulled up to the house and beeped. I could tell she was annoyed, but I was thankful the taxi came when it did. I didn't want to talk about this with her because I hadn't even thought about it that much yet. Every time I did think about I would start to feel overwhelmed.

As we pulled up to the store, I paid the taxi driver and we both stepped out of the car.

"Can I push the trolley?" Layla asked loudly in a fake British accent.

"Why are you talking like that, and why so loud, and what is a trolley?" I asked humorously.

"Talking like what, I always talk like this love, and a trolley is how you Americans say 'shopping carts.'"

I shook my head, and agreed with her as we enter the store.

"Ok so what do we need from our list." Layla asked, continuing in her British accent.

"Everything silly, thats why we made a shopping list. You make lists because you need things, and you put those things you need on a list because you have to get them. Did you get that?" I said teasingly as we made our way down the aisle.

"All I heard was blah blah blah list." Layla said as she put tomato puree into the cart.

"Ohhh you didn't say that in your accent, your going to throw people off." I taunted.

"Oh well, it's hard to keep up anyway. Let's go look at desserts!" Layla said as she picked up her speed, pushing the cart towards the dessert aisle.

"Now your talking." I said as I followed close behind her.

As we walked down the aisle looking at all the desserts she stopped at one and tried to read it.

"What's a toffee Pa-Pav..."

"Toffee Pavalova? Its a dessert made mostly of meringue, and before you ask meringue is basically sugar."

"Sounds perfect." She said as she picked it up and put it in the cart.

"Hey, what if I don't want that!" I protested playfully as I tried to take it out of the cart.

"Back off grandma, go get your own." Layla laughed as she shielded her precious dessert.

We both broke out into a fit of laughter when I heard my name being called behind me.

"Hermione?"

I turned around and there stood Harry and Ginny. No one said anything and the atmosphere was turning awkward. I eventually mumbled a "hi" and a "how are you", then continued to look at the desserts.

"Look, I know why you are acting weird towards me, and I kind of get it. My brother is an idiot, but please don't take it out on me. I thought we got along pretty good at my house and I thought we were friends.

" I know Ginny, I am sorry. I don't mean to be rude, but I am confused right now." I said as my eyes filled up with tears.

As soon as I wiped my eyes Ron rounded the corner with two types of bread in his hand, he hadn't seen Layla and I since he was intently studying the packaging.

"Gin, what kind of bread do you want? There so many bloody kinds, White, Brown, Wholemeal, Rye, 50/50...

As he looked up at Ginny, he then slowly turned and looked at me. His eyes widened in panic and his mouth opened and shut.

"Why haven't you called my sister, I looked up to you, and you are turning out to be a very mean mean boy." Layla firmly said. Her arms were crossed and she was glaring right at him.

Before Ron or myself could say anything Ginny jumped in and offered to take Layla so Ron and I could talk.

Ron didn't say anything, and once again I felt hurt. Obviously he didn't want to explain himself or work things out.

"It's ok Ginny, we need to get home anyway. Come on Layla." I said as my voice quivered. _Keep it together_ was my chant as we made our way to the checkout, and as we stood outside waiting for a taxi.

"Hermione!" Ron called. He came running out the door towards Layla and I. He had put on a hat and sunglasses, he was obviously trying to make himself inconspicuous, but he stood out even more.

"Please, I'm sorry, can we please talk." Ron pleaded as he looked into my eyes.

"I cant right now Ron, I have to go home and make Layla dinner. Maybe some other time." I said trying to act nonchalant, but my insides were churning.

"Oh, O-ok." Ron stuttered and looked down. I could tell he was disappointed, but a small part of me wanted him to feel the pain I felt these past three days.

As he turned to walk away Layla shouted for him to wait. At this time Ginny and Harry had exited the store and I noticed that Harry had a disguise on similar to Ron.

"Ginny, can I come to your house for a little bit." Layla asked and then winked at Ginny.

"Definitely, Harry and I are having Bangers and Mash, and I could use some help making it." Ginny said trying to hide a smile.

"Well, I will see you two crazies later, peace out." Layla said and then ran towards Ginny and Harry.

I stood there in shock, those two were like twins, and they were quite scary. I am sure if they plotted together, they could probably take over the world. Ron and I watched in silence as the three of them got in their car and left.

"So ummm." Ron said and then went silent again.

The taxi then pulled up and the driver shouted "Taxi for Granger!"

"Yes, thats me." I confirmed and started to walk towards the taxi. As I went to sit in the back I saw that Ron was still standing in the same spot looking unsure.

"Ron, are coming or not?" I asked.

"Yeah." He mumbled and then scurried to joined me in the back of the car.

"Where to Miss?" the driver asked as we got settled.

"81 Willow Road please." I said quietly.

Once we got back to the house, things were even more awkward. Ron sat silently at the table and I silently put away all the food that I had just bought. As I put the last item in the cupboard I had reached my breaking point.

"Please Ron, say something." I said frustratingly.

He jumped at my voice and stuttered as he looked down at the table, "I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what Ron, not calling me for three days. Leading me on, to think I thought you actually liked me. I am such a fool!" I yelled as I dropped in the chair opposite him.

"Your not a fool Hermione, don't say that, and I do like you ok, more than I have liked anyone in a long time." Ron yelled back.

"Then whats going on, I know we haven't known each other long, but I thought we had a connection, a spark even."

"We did, I mean we do. I just, I'm not good at relationships." Ron exclaimed as he grabbed his hair and pulled at it with frustration.

"That is no reason for you not to call me, I never pressured you into committing into anything permanent. I mean I am leaving in three weeks for gods sake." I stated.

"Exactly." Ron grumbled.

"What does that mean?"

"It means I am scared Hermione, I care about you so much and we hardly know each other. You will be leaving in three weeks, probably go back and meet someone new, so I thought whats the point."

"What's the point? How dare you? For your information Ron, you may or may not believe this but you were my first kiss. And when we were in Ginny's spare room, that was all new for me. So don't go there ok."

Ron made chocking sound and said, "I was your first kiss. Thats impossible, your beautiful, I am sure guys try and ask you out all the time."

"Try is the key word Ron, I have been too busy with school to worry about boys." I said embarrassingly. I cant believe I just told him he was my first kiss!

"Look, I am sorry again, for not calling you, but like I said, I am scared and quite frankly I think you can do better than me." Ron stated darkly.

"Why do you say that?"

"I told you I am bad at relationships."

"But why?" I shouted in frustration.

"Because I let my wife die!" Ron shouted and then shot out of the chair and stormed outside.


	5. Chapter 5

**Collapsing Heart**

**Chapter 5**

The words wife and die were bouncing around in my head, and I couldn't get past it. Every time I went to open my mouth to say something; nothing would come out except for a high pitched hissing noise that was being produced from the back of my throat. I am sure I looked like a fish out of the water to Ron, but I couldn't bring myself to care. After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence the invisible hand that was gripping my voice box loosened enough for me to whisper,

"Wife, die...Ron what?"

Ron looked at me nervously and swallowed loudly. He cleared his throat and whispered brokenly, "Can I have some water please? I will explain everything, please I need some water."

I looked at him for a moment and then decided to get him the water. He looked pale, peaky, and quite frankly he looked like he was going pass out. I took a glass from the cupboard, filled it with water, and then shakily handed him the glass. He took it slowly and chugged the whole thing until it was empty. He slammed the glass so hard on to the table that the glass cracked.

"I'm sorry, I'll buy you a new one." Ron said apologetically as we handed me the glass.

I disposed of the glass and then sat in the kitchen chair across from him. I looked into his eyes and waited for him to start his story. He stared back at me intently, cleared his throat and sat up in his chair as he started speaking.

"I let my wife die because I was too busy to notice when she really needed me."

"How did she die though?"

"I don't even know where to start." Ron said wearily.

"Starting at the beginning is alway good." I said softly as I gently asked him to continue.

"OK, but wait till the end of the story for questions. I just want to get this out." Ron said. He looked like he was going to be sick again.

"Ron, are you sure you want to tell me? We can do this another time." I said sympathetically as I reached over and stroked his comfortingly. I was starting to get worried, what if he killed his wife and he is feeling really guilty about it. I quickly banished that thought from my head and focused on him.

"Yes, I am sure. I want you to know." Ron said as he gave me a weak smile.

"OK then." I said reassuringly as I gave his hand a squeeze and then settled back into my chair.

"When you fall in love with someone, you have blinders on. The only thing that matters is you and the other person, and everything is great. I met Susan the day I auditioned for the first movie of the Hero Daze series; I was seventeen. Her father was the casting director, and she had come to watch the auditions. It wasn't love at first sight, but I knew there was something special about her. She was only sixteen but she had this way about her that was mature yet quirky at the same time. I got the part, and production started a month later. It turned out that she was home schooled, so she would help on set in anyway she could. We became fast friends, and me and Susan became inseparable. We didn't start going out until the beginning of filming for the second film. It was Harry's idea for us to go out, but it made sense. Three months later we were engaged, and two months after that we were married. Her dad and my parents were so angry, they told us we should take things slow, get to know each other a bit more, but we didn't care. Susan never told me that she had a genetic heart condition until one day I came home from set to find her passed out in the bathroom. At first she tried to make it seem like it wasn't a big deal, but I was worried, and I knew something was wrong. She died of a heart attack six weeks later, she was only nineteen when she died."

Ron slumped in his seat and sighed. It was as if all the energy in his body left him, and he was just a shell. I didn't know how to respond to this. I had to choose my words carefully.

"Ron, you couldn't have done anything to help her, your not a doctor. It's not your fault." I said soothingly.

"It is my fault, don't you see, I should have pushed more but I didn't. I knew something was wrong with her, but I ignored it, I just kept going to work. I was never home, I would work sixteen hour days then go straight to bed. She had stopped coming on set too, she was claiming she was tired and busy, and even then I didn't do anything. I should have been home with her, or taking her to every cardiac doctor I could find, and you know what really pisses me off? Her bloody father knew of her condition and he didn't tell me, not once did he try to explain. Only after the funeral he said, 'thats why I wanted you two to take it slow'." Ron said deliriously as tears filled his eyes. He was yanking on his hair in frustration and his breathing was labored.

"Your right, he should have told you Ron, and yes I even agree with you that you should have kept pushing her for answers, but the blame isn't just with you. Its with Susan for not being honest with you, and her father as well." I said as I walked around the table and stood next to him.

He looked up at me as tears trickled down his face. I held out my arms and he clung to me, wrapping his arms around my waist tightly, and sobbed. My own eyes filled with tears for him. He is too young to be carrying around this much guilt. I rubbed his back and threaded my fingers thorough his hair until he calmed down. He release a shuttered sigh and slowly pulled away from me.

"We are an emotional pair." Ron said with a soft laugh. He was trying alleviate the tension, and I couldn't help but smile. I still had so many questions though.

"Ron, I am sure I would have read about any of this in the magazines or papers, but I haven't, how come?" I asked as I returned to my seat.

"Trust me, it wasn't an easy thing to do." Ron whispered as he studied the table intently.

Before we could finish the conversation the kitchen door burst open and Layla came in like a whirlwind.

"Honey I'm home!" Layla yelled.

"Hey kiddo that was quick." I said as I gave her a quick hug. I noticed that Ron was discreetly wiping his eyes and stood up to give Layla a smile.

"I was gone for an hour. I had Bangers and Mash for dinner, it was yummy." Layla said as she skipped to the refrigerator and took out a Fruit Shoot.

"Where is Ginny?" I asked Layla as I eyed Ron. He seemed to be retreating into himself, but I didn't want to say anything to him in front of Layla.

Not picking up on the tension in the room Layla answered nonchalantly, "She is out in the car. She wants to know if Ron wants a ride home or if he is going to stay here."

"I better go." Ron said quietly as he started walking towards the door.

I followed him to the door and said, "Ron, I can take you home later. Stay, I'll make you dinner and we can watch a movie when Layla goes to bed."

"No, I should go with Ginny, I-I mean she is already here." Ron stuttered as he grabbed the handle to the front door.

"She wont mind. I can take you home." I repeated.

"You can't take me home."

"Why not? Its not a problem. Why don't you want me to see where you live?" I asked angrily.

"Fine do you want to know why? I don't have a house. Ever since Susan died I have been living with my mother, MY MOTHER!" Ron yelled and then yanked open the door, and slammed it behind him.

My forehead connected with the front door and I closed my eyes in frustration.

"Who is Susan?" I heard Layla whisper and I sighed.

I slowly turned away from the door and saw Layla looking at me with a curious expression on her face.

"Well, who is Susan?" Layla asked again.

"Layla, I can't tell you now. Maybe later." I said wearily as I walked passed her and reentered the kitchen.

I sank into the chair that Ron had recently vacated, and I reached for my cell phone in my pocket. I typed out a short message of comfort to Ron, and told him that if he needed me I was always here for him.

Layla dragged her feet as she walked into the kitchen and plopped down into the chair across from me.

"Don't be glum chum. As those bugs say, '_All you need is love, love_.' It's true sis, all you need is love."

"Bugs? Layla, what bugs?" I asked confusedly as I stuffed my phone back in my pocket.

"The music band that Dad listened to." Layla said as she looked at me like I was stupid.

"I think you mean The Beatles Layla." I said as I smiled at her and rolled my eyes.

"I know, but it got you smiling again." Layla said as she smile back at me.

"So, what the hell is bangers and mash." I asked as I suddenly remembered what she ate for dinner.

"It just sausages and mash potatoes with onion grass, Ginny calls it typical British cuisine. I am just learning things left and right. Apparently they call onion grass, scallions here."

"Um, Layla in America we don't call it onion grass, you are the only one that does that."

"Well, it does taste like the grass that grows in our backyard back in New York."

"Anyway, you head up and take a shower, I am going to make myself something to eat." I said quickly to change the subject. If I didn't cut her off she would just go on and on.

"Can I have a bath instead?" Layla asked.

"No, not tonight you silly moose. It's getting late." I said as I rummaged through the refrigerator.

"Two things Hermione, one, if you going to name call say it right; it's silly GOOSE not silly MOOSE. Second, please can I have a bath?"

"I'm not name calling, it's a term of endearment, and I know the saying is silly goose, but then I wouldn't be original, would I?"

Just as Layla was about to retort, a low rumbling noise could be heard in the distance.

"Oh crap." Layla muttered.

"Thats right, you hear that, thats thunder. Nature is on my side tonight. That means no bath for you. You don't want to get electrocuted. Now hurry up and take a quick shower before the lightning arrives."

The next rumble was slightly closer and Layla jumped.

"So you want to come upstairs with me, I mean I don't want you to get scared, you know, I mean with you being down here all alone." Layla stuttered nervously.

"Nah, I'm great down here, but thanks for thinking of me." I said nonchalantly as I turned to hide my face so she couldn't see my smile.

"You will be sorry if I get electrocuted up there and you wont even know."

"I'm sure I would be able to smell you."

"Hermione, this is no time to joke, we are talking about me being hurt." Layla said seriously.

"You are the one that brought it up." I shouted disbelievingly.

"Never mind!" Layla shouted back as she stomped up the stairs. I know she wasn't serious, because before she reached the top she turned around, stuck out her tongue, and gave me a playful glare.

I stood at the bottom of the steps until I heard the shower turn on, then I went back into the kitchen to find something to eat. I guess toast will have to do.

As I waited on the toast, I looked out the window and notice that it was now starting to pour down rain. My mind wandered over thoughts of Ron and I took my phone out of my pocket to see if he text me back...no new calls or messages. The toaster propelled my toast out of its belly, I jumped at the sound, and quickly buttered my toast. I sat at the table, and polished it off, and put the plate in the sink. The storm was now closer than ever, and the lightning had started. I briefly cleaned up the kitchen, turned off the lights, and locked the doors. I ran up the stairs to see if Layla was out of the shower. She was not only out of the shower but she had fallen asleep in her own bed. I smiled sadly, and pulled the covers over her properly. I was trying my best with her, I hope mom would be proud of me.

As I crossed the hall to go in my room I heard a bang and it came from downstairs. I froze in fear, and a cold shiver went down my back. There it was again, I didn't know what to do, my heart was racing and I had broken out in a cold sweat. I tip toed into my room, opened the closet, and pulled out a golf club that I found when we first got here. I slowly slinked down the stairs, and walked into the kitchen. I didn't want to look out the window in fear of someone would be there staring at me. The rain was still lashing outside and the thunder and lightning was fierce. The banging started again, and it was coming from the front of the house. As I walked into the hall, lightning lit up the space, and I saw a figure standing outside just in front of the door. They were jiggling the door handle trying to get in. I wanted to vomit and run, my instincts made me want to call for my dad but I knew he wouldn't answer. I steeled my resolve, got a better grip on the club with one hand, and walked towards the front door. I took the keys off the key rack and slowly and quietly unlocked the door with my other hand. One, Two, Three, I yanked open the door and started beating the intruder with the club.

"Ow. What the fuck! Hermione its me! Ow." The intruder said as he tried to take the club from me.

"Ron? Jesus you scared me. Come inside." I shouted over the rain.

We both quickly stepped inside and I noticed he was soaking wet.

"Go in the living room Ron, I will go get you a towel." I commanded.

I ran up the stairs, open the closet cupboard and got two of the biggest towels I could find. I also brought down my dads old sweatshirt and sweatpants that I had brought with me. I ran back down the stairs, went into the living room and handed him the towel.

"Thanks." He whispered as his body and voice quivered with cold.

"How long were you out there Ron?" I asked as I got the other towel and helped him dry off.

"About an hour. I was trying to work up the courage to knock, then it started raining. It really helped me out." Ron said sheepishly.

"Why didn't you just call me, Did you get the text I sent you?" I asked.

"Um No I didn't, my phone sort of broke." He said through chattering teeth.

"Sort of broke? How?"

"When I left here earlier I kind of got frustrated and chucked it. It smashed into pieces."

"Ron!"

I took the towel from him and threw it on the couch.

"Okay now strip." I ordered bodly as I unfolded my dads clothes.

"Uh, excuse me." Ron stuttered and looked at me as if I was crazy.

"Ron you can't stay in your clothes, you will catch a cold, so here, take these. I will be in the kitchen making tea while you get dressed. You can join me when your done."


	6. Chapter 6

**Collapsing Heart**

**Chapter 6**

* * *

><p>"Would you like any tea Ron?" I asked without turning while rummaging through the cabinets for mugs to put tea in.<p>

"Yes, please." Ron whispered.

I turned around to ask him how he liked his tea, and I had to quickly swallow a laugh at the sight in front of me. There was Ron in my dad's neon yellow sweatsuit, clashing horribly with his bright orange hair.

"Go on, you can laugh. If I wasn't freezing my arse off right now I would be doing the same thing, but really Hermione, why this colour." Ron said as he roughly pushed his hands in the front pocket of the sweatshirt with a pout adorning his face.

While he was speaking I kept gulping air so I wouldn't laugh, but I couldn't hold it in any longer. The sound started from deep in my belly, travelled rapidly up my esophagus, and erupted out of my mouth in the form of a colossal burp. Ron eyes widened and mine did the same. I slapped both my hands over my mouth, and I felt my self turn a glorious shade of dark pink. We both looked at each other and started howling with laughter. At one point I thought Ron would start convulsing. He was bent over at the waist while grabbing the table, his face red and his eyes leaking tears.

"Please stop, I'm begging you stop." Ron wheezed out as he clambered onto a kitchen chair. At this point I had somehow ended on my knees, and the shrieks of laughter that were coming out of me were anything but well-mannered. After what seemed like hours our laughter finally slowed to a halt, and we were silent as we tried to catch our breath.

"Thank you." Ron said as he looked at me and smiled affectionately.

"For what?" I asked as I wiped the residual tears from underneath my eyes.

"I needed that more than you know." Ron said as he stood up and made his way to where I was kneeling on the floor. He took my hands, gently pulled me up, and encased me in the tightest hug he could muster without hurting me. I held him just as tight and breathed in the scent of him. He smelled of rain, cologne, and man. I closed my eyes and breathed in deeper, hoping to never forget the smell. As I pulled away he wouldn't let me go, and I looked at him to ask if he was all right. We looked into each others eyes and I saw Ron's Adams apple bob up and down. There wasn't anything funny anymore.

The feel of his lips pressed against my own stopped me from thinking about anything else. My eyes widened slightly before fluttering closed. He was being gentle, even bringing his hand up to caress my neck as he brushed his lips over mine. I had been stunned by the initial touch but with the light pressure and warmth, I started to kiss him back. And then, just like that, he was pulling away.

"No, No, No." I whined as I brought my forehead to his chest.

His response was to chuckle, take my hand, and lead me back into the living room. The look in his eyes turned predatory and I felt a warmth begin to unfurl low in my stomach. The temperature in the room seemed to rise under each others gaze, but I still managed to shiver in anticipation. He steadily backed me into the couch until I was laying on it. I buried deeper into the couch, and I pulled him down on top of me. His long body stretched over me and one of his hands interlaced with mine, pinning it next to my head. His lips never broke contact with my heated skin.

"Ron," I moaned as I arched myself up, pressing against him, craving the pressure of his hard body on mine. He sucked in a breath at the touch, but when his eyes met mine they were clouded over with hesitation.

"Hermione..." Ron trailed off. Despite his reluctance, his head ducked down and his lips brushed against mine again. My lips parted and the kiss turned hotter, wetter. Ron groaned into my mouth, his hand squeezing my hand tighter as the tension between our two bodies grew. He began spreading kisses over my face to try to regain some control and I could feel him distancing himself.

I quickly slid my free hand up his back and into his thick hair. I pulled his head back to mine, pulling his hair as I did so, and devoured his mouth again. At the same time, I was unable to stop my legs from wrapping around his waist and rubbing myself against his body.

"Ewwwwww!"

We both snapped our heads towards the doorway, and there stood Layla with her face scrunched up in disgust.

Ron tried to jump off me, but my legs were still wrapped around his waist. As I went to detract them from his body I accidentally kicked him in the nose, he fell off the couch, and he collapsed onto the floor.

"Bloody Hell!" Ron cried from the floor. His voice came out muffled because his face was pushed in the carpet; I could tell he was holding his nose. I quickly joined him on the floor to help him up.

"Oh my god Ron are you all right?" I asked worriedly as I attempted to pull him up by his shoulders to look at his face. He turned towards me and I gasped in shock. The lower half his face was covered in blood.

"I think my nose is broken." He cried. His eyes were watering and his nose was starting to swell.

"Nice going Hermione." Layla chuckled as she walked over to us to get a closer look.

"Layla, this is not the time to joke around. Now please go get my phone in the kitchen." I said sternly while reaching for the towels Ron used earlier to dry off. I told Ron to tilt his head back as I applied pressure to his nose to stop the bleeding. Layla came running back into the room and handed me my phone.

"Who are you calling?" Ron asked, his voice sounded garbled by the blood that had got in his mouth.

"999, We have to get you to the hospital to get your nose checked out." I said as I dialed the first nine. Ron grabbed the phone out my hand and cleared the nine.

"I can't go to the hospital, the press will be all over this. Ginny is a nurse, call her and ask her to come over here." Ron stated as he gave me the phone back. He slowly stood, went over to the couch and laid down.

I quickly scrolled down to Ginny's number and hit send.

"_Hello?"_

"_Hey Ginny it's me." I said._

"_I'm sorry, who is me?"_

"_Hermione." I said frustratedly._

"_Oh, hey. I didn't recognize the number. What's up?"_

"_Can you please come to my house. Ron is here and I think his nose is broken."_

"_How the hell did that happen...look never-mind, I will be right over." Ginny huffed and then she hung up._

_0o0o0oo0o0o0o_

By the time we heard Ginny's car pulling up to the front of the house Ron's nose was almost unrecognizable and there was one hand towel completely soaked with his blood.

"Layla, go open the door for Ginny." I said as I sat down on the couch next to Ron's feet and rubbed his legs to give him some kind of comfort.

"What the hell?" Ginny yelled.

"Please Gin, just fix my nose please. No lectures." Ron groaned.

"Well, I need to know what happened. If I know how you hit it then I can determine if it's serious or not." Ginny said as she gently peeled the towel away from his face.

Ron and I both turned red, but we stayed silent. Layla however didn't.

"I can tell you!" Layla squealed as she raised her hand high in the sky, like she was at school waiting to answer a question she knew the answer to.

"Go on then, since these two have decided to turn mute." Ginny said while narrowing her eyes at us.

" Well, I was sleeping in my room, when I heard laughing. I thought it was just Hermione talking on the phone to Ron. After a while it was silent, and I went into Hermione's room to see if she was there, but she wasn't; I got scared. When I got to the bottom of the stairs I heard strange noises coming from the living room, I saw Ron and Hermione doing the bunny dance that Bobby's bunnies do. They were also kissing and I scared them. Hermione's foot accidentally kicked Ron in the face."

"They were doing the bunny dance were they. Who is Bobby?" Ginny said teasingly as she wiggled her eyebrows at Ron and I.

"Bobby is a boy in my class back at home. He has a girl and boy rabbit and they do that jumping thing on top one another. Bobby's mom says it's just the bunny dance. You know whats cool, after they do the bunny dance the girl rabbit has babies. Oh Hermione! Are you going to have baby now?" Layla said excitedly while jumping up and down.

Ron and I turned a deeper shade of red and Ginny burst out laughing.

"Did these two have clothes on?" Ginny asked Layla.

"Ginny!" Ron and I shrieked in protest.

"Yes, they did. What does that have to do with anything? The rabbits still had there fur on and they had babies." Layla said confusedly.

"Well, humans are a bit different." Ginny said as she turned to continue to check Ron's nose.

"How are they different?" Layla asked curiously.

"Ask your sister kiddo, I am sure she can tell you." Ginny said while winking at me.

I shook my head in disbelief and told Layla that I would explain when she was older.

"Well, dear brother the break is simple, your nose has stopped bleeding and I am confident it will heal up fine. You need to get some ice on it to get the swelling to go down. You wont be able to breathe properly for the next couple of days so you are going to need decongestant. You can take Ibuprofen for the pain, and if you get black eyes that is normal. Just let me know if the swelling doesn't go down."

"Shit, John is going to kill me." Ron groaned as he sat up.

"John?" I asked.

"My boss John. I obviously wont be able to film with my face looking like this. This is going to halt production by a week, and we are on a tight schedule as it is." Ron explained.

"Oh Ron, I am so sorry. I didn't even think of your job." I said apologetically.

"Its ok. I am sure I can get some ADR done this week."

"Before I go I just want to ask one thing." Ginny said with a mischievous look on her face.

"Gin." Ron warned.

"I just want to ask, what are you wearing? You should see yourself. Neon yellow, orange and now because of the blood, red.

"I will tell you later." Ron said through gritted teeth.

"Calm down, don't get your boxers in a twist, but then again they are already probably like that, just for a whole different reason." Ginny said as she winked at me.

"I'm going to tell Mom on you." Ron retorted lamely.

"How juvenile Ron, but since we are talking about Mom, have you introduced Hermione yet?" Ginny asked tauntingly.

Ron grabbed a pillow from behind him and chucked it at Ginny's retreating form.

The room was painfully silent when the front door closed as Ginny left. Ron couldn't look me in the eye, and my nail beds suddenly became very important.

"So, does anyone want to watch a movie?" Layla asked.

"Layla go back to bed." I scolded as I stood up and gently steered her towards the stairs.

"Hermione! I'm not tired. It's summer, and I should be able to stay up." Layla whined as she pushed her feet into the floor in protest.

"It's midnight silly moose. Up the stairs, now!" I said as I pointed at the stairs with a stern look on my face.

"Your no fun." Layla said as she stomped up the stairs in a huff.

I waited to make sure she was in her room before I turned to go back to Ron.

"Hey, I think I am going to go now." Ron said as he gathered all the towels, and set them by the washing machine.

"What? No, please stay. We could watch a movie or something." I said pleadingly. I didn't want him to go. I wanted to spend as much time with him as I possibly could.

" I have to get some sleep. I have to get up early and explain my nose to John." Ron said as he walked to the front door.

"Ok, call me?" I said shyly as I followed behind him.

"I will." Ron replied as he opened the door.

I leaned on the open door as he walked out onto the porch. He looked hesitant as he walked to his car. He stopped suddenly, turned around, and with a determined look on his face, walked until he was right in front of me. He looked softly at me, cupped my cheek, and gently kissed me.

He slowly pulled away and said, " Goodnight Hermione."

I smiled dreamily and whispered, "Goodnight Ron."

* * *

><p><em>This story hates me. It's fighting against me, and it won. Sorry for the lack of update. I am now in the process of moving countries and things are a little crazy.<em>

_Enough about me. I hope you enjoy._


End file.
